training

Hybrid events and training: what is here to stay even though you resist to accept it

eLearning
What is to hybridize training or events?

Despite what it is said, digital learning is not a novelty brought by the pandemic. This kind of training has existed for at least 30 years; before, it was called eLearning and, previously, CBT (Computer Based Training). Which is true is that digital learning has shot up these days, and it is quite sure that it will continue at that level. In the corporate sphere, many companies will continue teleworking, so…digital learning will be around for a while.

The new situation, which has come to stay, is the hybridization of training and events.

Hybridizing is teaching simultaneously in person and online: some students are present in the classroom while others are connected online, but everybody interact with each other and the teacher. Hybridization is not the same as blended learning, as blended (or mixed training) are programs in which all participants are first online and then face-to-face, or vice versa, but not both situations at the same time.

And why are you telling me all this?

Many companies and universities have done or will do works to adapt to a new reality that involves shared spaces, meeting rooms to work with part of the team remotely and other part in-house, booths for video conferences, free work spaces without assigned tables, etc.

The same way you will modify your office to adapt to this new hybrid work reality, you will also need to adapt to the new way of managing your promotional events and the training of your employees or clients. For this, you will need two things:

 

  1. Technology
  2. Adaptation of programs and contents

 

In this post, I will explain some ideas that may help you deal with hybrid training and events.

How many cases of hybrid training are there?

In fact, there are many, but there most significant ones are:

A) Hybrid masterclasses or wov room

B) Hybridized smart classroom

Following, we’ll provide a little more information about each one, explaining what are them about and the necessary investment and technology.

A) Hybrid masterclass or wov room

It has two versions:

- Broadcast room for teachers + production room + students via streaming

- Attendance room + participants via streaming + production room

Hybrid masterclass

The production room manages several cameras that choose the shots that focus on the teacher, who interacts with the students and has a viewer of the participation of each one of them. It also has elements to interact with them through canvas and survey-type activities.

The approach is the case method.

The recorded result can be distributed, directly or with post-production.

Some Business Schools and large corporations are already operating these systems.

 

Investment

"One shoot":

  • Rooms and licenses to use the software.
  • Cameras; equipment for sound, acoustics, lighting and production.
  • Synchronous sessions branding book.
  • Basic training of teachers in the environment.

Recurrent expense:

  • Teacher + Training management (learning office).
  • Two cameras and three people in production per session, makeup.
  • Pedagogical adaptation of the case teacher manual to the environment.
  • Script for each session (case).
  • Drip training of new teachers.

 

Technology

The solution will be different depending on if you will use a full suite or you will combine loose elements. Anyway, you will need:

  • Streaming and video conferencing components.
  • Tools to encourage participation, gamification and live voting.
  • Tools to express yourself or co-create content, such as a virtual whiteboard.
  • Collaborative office IT tools in the cloud to prepare deliverables, cases, make numbers and present the results to the teacher or the rest of students.
  • In the event of not having a video production infrastructure, or if you have it but it is not focused on this case, it is worth purchasing specific streaming hardware.
hybrid training tools
B) Hybridized smart classroom

It is the convergence of three very different concepts:

 

  1. Flipped Classroom: it is a work sequence that extends instructional training, with collaborative activities outside the classroom and online learning and/or assessment. It is taking on special importance in the HiEd market and in EdTech, even though it is still little spread in the corporate market.
  2. Smart Classroom: it is the transformation of the traditional classroom with technological elements that allow the gamification of the training. It is underused in the K12 and HiEd market, and has very little success in the corporate market.
  3. Adaptive learning: it consists in providing each student with a differentiated curriculum based on their abilities and interests. It is only successfully applied in a few large corporate organizations.

 

The convergence resides in:

  • Gamification of the training in the Flipped classroom format.
  • There is no physical classroom, or it is replaced by a Synchronous classroom.
  • The smartization appears in the interaction elements.
  • Adaptive learning happens by branching of the common content, or through optional content.

 

Investment:

One shot:

  • Rooms and licenses to use the software.
  • Creation of a corporate database of interaction elements (activities, canvases, resources, etc.)
  • Branding book sessions. 
  • Basic training of teachers in the environment.

Recurrent expense:

  • Instructional teachers + Group teachers + Training management (learning office).
  • Pedagogical adaptation of each course’s teacher manual to the format.
  • Curation / digitization of basis and extra content (adaptive).
  • Drip training of new teachers.

 

Technology:

There are countless tools that can be used. Some of them perform a single function very well, while others are more general and perform several functions at the same time, although they are not good in all disciplines. Some tools have several components but they respond to a specific, given model. I have called them "functional niche".

On the other hand, it can be affirmed that some solutions are more focused on the EdTech public, while others are on the corporate one. However, in many cases, these tools are used interchangeably. Some manufacturers have different versions, depending on the type of participant.

hybrid training tools
Conclusions

Hybrid learning and events require specific tools to guarantee the attention and engagement of the participants. Whether you have an LMS for training management, or a community and / or event management software, make sure that it can be integrated with specific solutions for hybridized learning. 

However, technology is only the beginning. You must also adapt your itineraries or events to the new hybrid reality.

Only with a complete hybrid experience you will achieve your training, commercial or customer loyalty goals.

Carles Roca

Carles is a Senior Account Manager at SEIDOR Opentrends. He leads the financial sector and is an expert in operations management and BPM, CRM, LXP&LMS technologies. Previously, he has held management positions of talent management and digital learning in consultancy firms, insurance companies and banks. His aim is to develop technology-based value propositions that help improve customer experience, increase sales or reduce costs in a way sustainable in time.